2026 Statewide AT Summit Priority Community Travel Expense Scholarship Application 

The Department of Health, the principal sponsor of the 2026 PA Active Transportation Summit taking place in Harrisburg on Thursday, June 4, has an interest in providing support in priority communities. To incentivize attendance from those areas, people who work or live there can apply in advance for funding to help cover travel expenses. It is recognized that even with this subsidy, participants are still being asked to contribute to the event with their commitment of time.

Applications will be reviewed starting April 7, until available funds are committed.

Scholarship funding is limited. No more than six spots with lodging will be awarded to one county. Non-lodging expense support for additional people from a county already with six rooms set up will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Complete this form to apply and wait for confirmation of acceptance. Responses should be provided within three days. If you have questions, please email pawalkworks@padowntown.org.

The DOH priority counties are Berks, Clearfield, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Green, Lackawanna, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, Northumberland, and Philadelphia. The county list is supplemented by the DEP Environmental Justice assessment, with municipalities with overall ratings of 60% or higher on PennEnviroScreen 2.0 also qualifying as priority locations. The priority locations are further identified here.

Based on GSA Travel and Subsistence Rates, attendees traveling from different distances can access different levels of financial aid. Use Google Maps to establish which distance category you fall under. The event location is 212 Locust Street, Harrisburg.

Attendees traveling from less than 50 miles away are eligible for:

• Free summit registration
• Free food at summit (light breakfast, full lunch, and afternoon snack)
• Free parking

Attendees traveling from between 50 and 150 miles away are eligible for the above support plus:

• Reimbursement for train/bus ticket or vehicle mileage (at the current GSA rate of $0.75/mile)
• Reimbursement for one meal for Wednesday evening, June 3 (up to $31, no alcohol)
• One night of complimentary lodging at the Harrisburg Hilton on Wednesday, June 3

Attendees traveling from more than 150 miles away are eligible for all of the above support plus:

• A second night of complimentary lodging at the Harrisburg Hilton on Thursday, June 4
• Reimbursement for an evening meal on Thursday, June 4 (up to $31)
• Reimbursement for breakfast (up to $18) and lunch (up to $20) on Friday, June 5

Terms:

• PDC will cover the cost of housing for 25 participants on June 3 and five on June 4.
• Other lodging will not be reimbursed.
• The hotel will still need to have a credit card on file from attendees in covered rooms to pay for any restaurant fees or incidentals.
• If there are no remaining complimentary hotel rooms and there is still demand, accepted applicants can get the GSA rate for their hotel room covered ($124/night), and they can pay the difference (about $75).
• No alcohol can be covered.
• Itemized receipts for meals are required.
• Scholarship recipients must certify that they are committing to attend the full Summit from 8:30am to 4:30pm on Thursday, June 4.
• Optional activities on Wednesday evening and Thursday before and after the Summit may be attended, but are not required.
• If an attendee must cancel, they should make an effort to send an alternate in their place so that their scholarship is not wasted.
• Attendees receiving travel expense support from PDC must certify that they are not submitting those expenses elsewhere for reimbursement.
• Expenses must be submitted by June 15.

Use this online application form to request funding.

Contact pawalkworks@padowntown.org with questions.